Electric switch



Sept. 16 1924. A 1,508,636

l. ALLEN ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Oct. ll 1920 UNITED STATES 1,508,636 PATENT OFFICE.

ISABELL ALLEN,"0F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application led October 11, 1920. Serial No'. 416,033.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, ISABELL ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, State of Missouri, have invented va certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a complete specifica- This invention relates to electric switches, and more especially to switches appropriate for use in conjunction with electrical heating devices, .and has for its object to produce a simple and efficient switch of easy application and economical manufacture.

With this general object in view the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and inV order that the invention may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 lis 'a diagrammatic view of a safet signal electric heatingapparatus provide with a switch embodying-the invention.

Figure 2 is a view 'showing the switch applied in operative condition to a flat-iron,

the 1ron being. broken away.

Figure 3 *is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line III- III of Figure 4, to disclose the construction of the switch.

Figure 4Jis an enlarged section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detailed view of an'element of the switch. y l

In the said drawing, where similar reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, lindicates amanually operable switch for engagementv with a contact 2, at times, and said switch and Contact are respectively connected by conductors 3 and 4 to the feed wires 5 and 6 of an electric lighting or equivalent system. On one of the conductors between the switch mentioned, and the feed wires, is a socket 7 for the reception of an incandescent lamp 8, this lamp constituting the signal hereinafter referred to.

A conductor 9 leads from the switch l to a contact 10 of an electrical switch, such contact'being adapted for engagement with 'contact points 11, 12, or 13, as desired by the operator, and said contact points are connected by conductors 14, 15 and 16 respectively, to electrical resistances or heat units 17, 18 and 19, said heat units being elecdinarily be best to insulate these units from each other, with all of them wound around a common axis. A

As applied to a flat iron such as shown at 24, the heat unit or heat units are arranged within the iron and likewise a fuse 23 adapted under excessive heat generated within the iron, to melt and thus break the circuit, and thereby avoid over heating of the iron and the attendant danger of fire from such cause. In the use mentioned and illustrated, the switch mechanism constituted by parts 10 to 12 inclusive and 21 is arranged within a plug, as shown by Figures 2 to 4 inclusive, which plug is constructed as follows:

25 indicates a plug element fitted in an opening in the wall of the iron and engaged within said opening bythe clamping nut 26, and said element is provided with an outwardly-projecting stem 27, provided in this instance, with three external cavities or grooves 28 for receiving the upper ends of the contacts 11, 12 and 13, which contacts as shown by Figures 3 and 4, are in the form of spring arms, adapted for successive contact in the rotation of the plug, as hereinafter explained, by the extension or switch 10, of the sleeve 29 mounted rotatively upon the stem 27, and secured at its upper end to the tubular housing 30 of insulating material. Fitting in said housing is` the conductor sleeve 31 in permanent electrical contact with the conductor 9 and sleeve 29, and

fitting within the sleeve 31 is a sleeve 32 ofthen through contact point 11, conductor 14,-

heat unit 17, conductor 20, fuse 23, fixed contact 21, and conductor 22 to contact 2;

of the first-named land then through conductor 4 and the lamp -the lamp willburn but dimly. If the switch is turned to effect engagement between contact arm and contact point 12, the cure rent will flow through the lamp, and the heat unit 18, and assuming that the lat-ter is of less resistance than the heat unit 17,`the light of the lamp will be correspondingly brighter. If the switch is turned to cause contact 10 to engage contact point 13', the current will flow through the weakest heat unit, 19, and hence thelght will burn with still greater brillianc Itv will thus be seen that the experience operator can tell by a glance at the lamp, which heat unit is in operation.

The apparatus can be employed selectively with respect to the heat units and thus provide for a more or less gradual or a rapid heating of the iron or. other device with which the apparatus is associated, the signal indicatingat all times whether the op'era tion is in progress. If the heat generated. is

excessive, that is so high 'as to make the useI of thel iron or 'the like dangerous, the fuse will-melt and thus break the circuit and render|` the apparatus functionless until the broken fuse is replaced by another. It will be apparent that an'apparatus of this character, will'be found useful in other connections,v 'as'it will make the use 'of the apparatus much safer than theA appliances now in use. s f" Itis a matter of common knowledge that people frequently connect a flat iron.Y or -a curling iron or the like, 4in circuit with a wall socket and generate a heat whichis dangerous, as no means is provided for indicating just what temperature the iron or the likehas attained except by. testingit,

4 fuse, adapted to melt 'when the heat reaches v and in many instances this test is not made, in fact the. person in charge frequently leaves the room and' forgets all about the matter until the building or furnishings of the room have caught lire through overheating of the iron or the burning of the product being cooked or toasted. With a lamp` or the like, the operator fwill be instantly aware of the fact that heat is being generated, because the lamp is in operation as long as the currentilows, and with the a vpredetermined temperature, danger of fire through negligence is reduced tothe minimum.

From the abovedescription it will be apf parent `that I have produced an electric switch which embodies the vantage set forth as desirable in the statement of the object of the invention, and )which obviously may be modified in various particulars without departin lprinciple of construction invo ved or sac- `rifcin any ofthe(advantages of the ap- `pende claims.

' I claim:

features of adr from the 1. An electric switch, comprising a sleeve A of insulating material, a cylindrical insulating stem 'within the' sleeve, and provided externally with a plurality of cavities, contacts in said cavities and projecting beyond the circumferential plane o f the stem, a conducting sleeve ittingrotatably in the Ainsulating sleeve and over said stem above said contacts and provided with a switch extension for successive engagement with said contacts, a fixed conducting sleeve engaging the first-named conducting sleeve, an insulating sleeve within the .said second conducting sleeve, va third` conducting sleeve, within the last-named insulating sleeve, a rod in electrical engagement with the third conducting sleeve, and carried by the sald stem, anda pair of electrical conductors respectively connected tothe first-named conducting sleeve and said third conducting sleeve.'

2f An electric switch, comprising a sleeve of insulating material, a cylindrical insulating stem, within the sleeve, vand provided externally with a plurality of cavities, contacts.

in said `cavities and projecting beyond the circumferential `plane of the stem, a conducting sleeve Iittin'g-rotatably in the insulating sleeve `and over said stem above said contacts and provided with a switch- .extension for successive engagement with said contacts a lfixed conducting sleeve engaging the first-named conducting sleeve, an insulating sleeve within the said second conducting sleeve, a third conductin sleeve,

A within the last-named insulatin s eeve, a -rod in electrical engagement wit the third conducting sleeve, and carried by the said stem, and a pair of electrical conductors respectively connected to the first-named conducting sleeve and said third lconducting sleeve.

' In testimony whereof, 'I hereunto aiiix my signature.

' ISABELL ALLEN. 

